Sunday, January 31, 2010

Paleo On The Go...

"It's too hard for me to eat Paleo with my schedule." "I travel alot, so I just can't make Paleo work for me." Does this sound familiar? Maybe you've heard it or even said it yourself. Well this post is for you! I'm going to feature some foods that make staying Paleo possible in almost any situation.

Here's a list of some great options and product reviews (with links) to help you stay Paleo in a pinch:

Paleo Kits (medium paleo kit pictured)
These are awesome for travel and make great on the go snacks. They come in small, medium, large and x-large package sizes. Each kit contains free range jerky, mixed nuts and berries. Super convenient and super tasty!

Paleo Brands (not pictured)
First off, this website is excellent! It's full of Paleo information and has a blog with lots of great stuff. There are several great options avaliable here and the product line is growing to include full meals! I'll let you know when they come available. At this site you can get:Paleo Snax - These are like Paleo kits and have grass-fed beef jerky, macademia nuts, pecans, blueberries, walnuts, cherries, sunflower seeds and goji berries. Delicious!Paleo Cookies and Bars - They come in two kinds, Almond or Cranberry-Raisin, and make great protein rich snacks when you're craving something sweet. The bars are just smaller versions of the cookies.

Paleo Treats (pictured)
As the website says, "Paleo Desserts for the Elite Athlete" and they, without a doubt, live up to the slogan. If you have a sweet tooth, these are definitely for you! They come in two varieties Cacao Now and Mac Attack. The Cacao Now, will eliminate even the strongest craving for chocolate and the Mac Attack is a delicious coconut cookie (it's got chocolate too!). Both are great options when you're craving something really sinful...

Larabar (pictured)
These bars are seriously the bomb!! They are made from simple ingredients: dried fruit, nuts, cocoa, coconut, etc., and are simply awesome. There are LOTS of different flavors ranging from Coconut Cream Pie to German Chocolate Cake on the Jocalat product line. Best of all, they are available at the grocery store!

Justin's Nut Butter (pictured)
If you're looking for a nut butter that travels well and tastes great - look no further! Justin's has classic, honey, maple and chocolate almond butters, and a chocolate hazelnut butter. I haven't tried the chocolate varieties, but the others are fantastic. Justin's comes not only in jars, but in convenient packets and the maple almond butter is available in a 100 calorie, smaller sized packet too.

Yep, it's like almond butter, but made from sunflower seeds! If you or someone you know has a tree nut allergy this stuff is safe. And it's really good! I like it on my post-workout sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, celery, carrots... and it makes a great alternative to peanut butter in recipes and sauces (when you're not on the go)!! It comes in creamy, crunchy, enriched with omega-3's and organic varieties.

Tuna or Salmon Packets (pictured) - look for the 'in water' and low sodium varities. Chicken or Turkey Packets - follow the same rules as for tuna and salmon.Jerky - choose low sodium, natural, nitrate free jerkys.Dried fruit - make sure to get fruits without added sugar.Nuts - Walnuts, Macadamias, Almonds, etc.
That's my list. I hope it helps you stay Paleo even when you think it's impossible. If you have any other "go to" foods that weren't included I'd love to hear them in the comments!

10 comments:

I do have concern about those larabars a couple of them have fruit juice in them. Also the treats use honey as a sweetener. If you're trying to lean out wouldn't it be better to avoid those two things?

Yes, if you are trying to lean out those aren't the best choices. However, if you are having an "I NEED something sweet and fruit won't cut it moment" these choices are better than a Snickers or a twinkie! :)

I'm still working on leaning out. I do strict paleo and limit myself to 1 pc of fruit a day and 4 oz of nuts. I looked at the larabar ingredients again for the ones w/o juice in them.Now I'm toying around w/ the idea of subbing 1 larabar for my 1 pc of fruit/day and 1/2 my nut allocation.

My math shows it would cut about 20-30g of sugar out of my diet. Think its worth it?

I would recommend sticking with your usual fruit and nuts, unless you're in a real bind. It is always preferable to eat foods in their closest to natural state. This means no fancy wrappers or processing of any type. Also, fruit in it's natural state will keep you fuller longer, has more fiber, vitamins,and minerals. Also, from glycemic index and glycemic load standpoints whole fruit will be significantly lower. Here's an example - an apple GI of 38 and dates (primary fruit ingredient in LaraBars) have a GI of 103. Larabars are great for when you are on the go and need something fast. They are also not the most ideal for individuals that are trying to lean out.

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